Spurs Thunder.

For a stretch of 20 games, 10 of those in the playoffs, no team has played a more pure, more beautiful brand of basketball in recent years than what the San Antonio Spurs did. It was Hall of Fame talent being selfless — Tony Parker would get in the lane and score or kick to…

You can argue that Derek Fisher‘s three or some other particular shot was the dagger, but the one shot that forever put this game out of reach for the Thunder was Kendrick Perkins dunk when he rolled to the basket, nobody noticed or cared and Kevin Durant hit him with the pass. Then first thing…

Since the 1999 season, only three teams have represented the Western Conference in the NBA finals — the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs. In the first round of the 2012 playoffs, the Thunder crushed Dallas. In the second round they showed they were well ahead of the Lakers. And…

It’s not that the Spurs don’t know what they have to do to win — this is a smart, veteran team with the best coach in the land. Intellectually, they know what they need to do. But there comes a point where athleticism trumps that plan, and for three games in a row now the…

Down the stretch, when San Antonio kept making the runs of a champion that will not surrender, James Harden kept sticking them with daggers. I though it was over when he hit the and-1 three about a minute before this, but the shot above was the clincher. Listen to the crowd when that shot goes…

The conventional wisdom coming into this series was that the younger, less experienced Thunder might well not stand up to the level of play the battle tested Spurs were at. But the Thunder have plenty of experience, too. We thought all season they were the team to beat in the West, that didn’t change until…

Russell Westbrook knows how to finish. Monday night, so did the Oklahoma City Thunder. San Antonio came out to start the second half Monday night on a tear, playing like they were fighting for their playoff lives. Which they essentially were. The Thunder withstood the storm and made their own comeback to take the lead…

Miami may have Chris Bosh back on Tuesday for Game 5. It’s huge in a series where the Heat offense has struggled against a good Boston defense, because the Heat’s pick-and-roll is about to become a lot more dangerous. Right now the Heat have shown limited respect for the damage Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem…

San Antonio needs to find its offense to win Game 5 tonight, or this series will be over in a couple days. It falls to the Spurs’ big three — Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili need to get free and penetrate the lane to break down the Thunder defense, Tim Duncan just has to play…

It was a blowout Thunder win in Game 3, sparked by their defense. Here are the reactions from Gregg Popovich — who said more than seven words in this press conference, a bit of a surprise to me — and scott Brooks, as well as players like Kevin Durant. Game 4 is going to be…

Those strange people in Oklahoma City with their midwestern values. They confuse me. I cannot believe they would back a loyal local fan who paid for a courtside seat over a celebrity. They just do not get America. Let me explain. The Thunder are a sellout in Oklahoma City, especially during the playoffs. They have…

The Oklahoma City Thunder would like to remind you that they are a very, very good basketball team. For days now the buzz had been about the Spurs’ 20-game win streak, how they played like the old man at the YMCA that schools the more athletic kids with the extra pass and smart positioning. But…

The Oklahoma City Thunder came out in Game 3 with a real sense of desperation. They played more physical, their defensive rotations were crisper and they have thrown the Spurs out of the game plan that worked brilliantly the first two games. The Thunder were up 13 at the half. Did I mention physical? Above…

Scott Brooks doesn’t seem to have any answers. Neither did Vinny Del Negro or Ty Corbin. Nobody has for 20 games now. The San Antonio offense over the last month is as efficient a machine as the NBA has ever seen and unless the Thunder can find a way to slow Tony Parker and the…

The Spurs made their adjustments after Game 1, came out and dropped 120 on the Thunder in Game 2. Then to a man the Spurs came to the podium and said just what Tony Parker does above — “we just had a good game as a team.” Just kind of “aw, shucks.” Durant, he’s not…

There were moments in the fourth quarter when the Thunder looked like a team that could make a comeback. They were cutting off the lane, forcing contested jumpers, getting some points in transition. There seemed to be hope. Faint hope down 7 with 1:30 left to go, but we saw what the Thunder did to…

If you were looking for them, there were glimmers of hope for the Oklahoma Thunder in this series from Game 2. Their “big three” showed up — Kevin Durant had 31, James Harden 30 and Russell Westbrook 27. There was a run, early in the fourth quarter, when the Thunder were able to clog the…

Serge Ibaka is not ready to be Defensive Player of the Year, but it’s not because of this. (It’s because of his iffy pick-and-roll defense and how he defends people in space. It’s a work in progress.) This would be the “old” but rejuvenated Tim Duncan throwing it down on Ibaka like it’s 1999. He…

I said going into this series Russell Westbrook was the key to Oklahoma City’s chances against the Spurs — he needs to attack off the pick-and-roll, get into the lane and finish. Or kick it out. But he needs to disrupt the Spurs defense and put a lot of points on the board in the…

When the game was on the line, Oklahoma City just did not have an answer for the herky-jerky style of Manu Ginobili. He had 11 of the Spurs 39 points in the fourth quarter as the Spurs found a system that worked — going small — and came from behind to win Game 1. Ginobili…

There’s a reason the Spurs haven’t lost a game since before you sent your taxes in (19 in a row now) — they can adapt and take what you give them. Gregg Popovich is the master of adjustments and this roster is a huge toolbox of options for him to choose from. He and the…

San Antonio vs. Oklahoma City comes with great storylines — the young gunslingers trying to take the crown away from the grizzled veterans. Russell Westbrook vs. Tony Parker. Brains vs. athleticism (although really, both teams have both). Above is a preview of the finals with myself and Tiffany. For a more detailed one, you can…

For your DVR setting purposes (or, if you’re old, VCR), we bring you the schedule for the NBA Western Conference finals. Which right now, with the way the banged up Heat, aging Celtics, underdog Sixers and Pacers are playing feels a lot like an NBA finals. The series start next Sunday, which means the Spurs…